Category: Federal Bureau of Investigation

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Johnnie Sharp, Jr. and Huntsville Police Chief Mark McMurray today announced rewards totaling $18,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the individual responsible for the vandalizations of the Etz Chayim Synagogue on April 9, 2020, and the Chabad of Huntsville on April 10, 2020. The announcement was made at a press conference held at Huntsville Police Headquarters this afternoon.

The FBI is providing a $15,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the individual responsible.

Huntsville Area Crime Stoppers is offering a separate reward of $1,000, and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is offering a separate reward of $2,000. These two rewards are subject to their individual rules and are not administered by the FBI.

In addition, this reward campaign will include digital billboards that will be displayed across north Alabama and southern Tennessee. The FBI would like to express its thanks to Lamar Advertising for their contribution to the digital billboard campaign.

In the early morning hours of April 9, 2020, the Etz Chayim Synagogue, located at 7707 Baily Cove Road, Huntsville, Alabama, was vandalized with anti-Semitic graffiti.

The following day, in the early morning hours of April 10, 2020, the Chabad of Huntsville, located at 1908 Parkhill Road SE, Huntsville, Alabama was vandalized with similar anti-Semitic graffiti. Surveillance camera footage indicated that the vandalisms were perpetrated by the same individual.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News

The National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force (NCIJTF) has released a new joint-seal ransomware fact sheet. This educational product is intended to provide the public important information on the current ransomware threat and the government’s response, as well as common infection vectors, tools for attack prevention, and important contacts in the event of a ransomware attack.

The NCIJTF has the primary responsibility to coordinate, integrate, and share information in support of cyber threat investigations; supply and support intelligence analysis for community decision-makers; and provide value to other ongoing efforts in the fight against cyber threats to the nation.

To address the growing ransomware problem, the NCIJTF has convened an interagency group of subject matter experts from over 15 different government agencies to specifically focus on the prevention of and response to ransomware attacks. The interagency group developed the new ransomware fact sheet to increase awareness and public education surrounding this threat, equipping the public with tools to prevent ransomware attacks and reduce the overall threat to the United States.

Ransomware is a type of malicious software, or malware, deployed by criminal actors that encrypts data on a computer system, making it unusable for the end user. The criminal cyber actors hold the data hostage until a ransom is paid. If the ransom is not paid, victim data could remain unavailable indefinitely, or it could be released to the public at large. Between 2013 and 2019, it is estimated at least $144.35 million in Bitcoin have been paid out as ransomware ransom.

While ransomware attacks can impact any industry or organization, the federal government is particularly concerned about ransomware attacks on the networks of police and fire departments; state, local, tribal, and territorial governments; municipalities; hospitals; and other critical infrastructure. These types of attacks can delay first responders in responding to emergencies or prevent a hospital from accessing lifesaving equipment. It is imperative these organization be prepared in the face of the ransomware threat. The NCIJTF’s ransomware fact sheet provides the basic information necessary to help protect the United States’ infrastructure.

The joint-seal product can be found at https://www.ic3.gov/Content/PDF/Ransomware_Fact_Sheet.pdf.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News

Director Christopher Wray has named Jeffrey S. Sallet as the associate deputy director of the FBI. Mr. Sallet oversees all FBI personnel, budget, administration, and infrastructure, as well as the inspections and insider threat programs. He most recently served as the executive assistant director of the Human Resources Branch.

Mr. Sallet started his FBI career as a special agent in 1997 in the New York Field Office, investigating crimes across several areas. During the 9/11 investigation, he was responsible for identifying how the attacks were funded and for tracking al Qaeda’s financial assets.

In 2005, Mr. Sallet transferred to the Criminal Investigative Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., to manage La Cosa Nostra investigations in the northeastern United States. In 2007, he moved to the Providence Resident Agency in Rhode Island. The next year, he was promoted to supervisory senior resident agent, in charge of all counterterrorism, public corruption, civil rights, government fraud, and organized crime investigations in Rhode Island.

Mr. Sallet was promoted again in 2012, to an assistant special agent in charge in the Boston Field Office, overseeing white-collar crime, public corruption, health care fraud, and civil rights matters. He also led the coordinated law enforcement response and investigation of the Boston Marathon bombing in April 2013.

Mr. Sallet was named chief of the Public Corruption/Civil Rights Section in the Criminal Investigative Division at FBI Headquarters in 2014. He was promoted to special agent in charge of the New Orleans Field Office in 2015 and moved to lead the Chicago office in 2017. He was promoted to associate executive assistant director of the Finance and Facilities Division in 2019.

In 2020, Mr. Sallet was promoted to executive assistant director of the Human Resources Branch, where he oversaw the Human Resources, Training, Security and the Finance and Facilities divisions.

Prior to joining the FBI, Mr. Sallet worked as an auditor and forensic accountant in the private sector. He is a certified public accountant and a certified financial forensics professional.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News

The CJIS Division’s 2020 Year in Review highlights how we provide our law enforcement partners with the best tools possible.

During fiscal year 2020, the division:

• Enacted remote work and meetings;
• Managed an unprecedented number of background checks for firearm transactions;
• Experienced increased participation in our National Use-of-Force Data Collection;
• Launched the National Iris Service; and
  
• Established the Law Enforcement Engagement Unit, which promotes effective relationships with law enforcement partners.

Read more in the full report.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

FBI Miami Special Agent in Charge George Piro delivered the following remarks at a press conference regarding an agent-involved shooting in Sunrise, Florida, in which two FBI agents were killed and three were wounded. Remarks as delivered.

Good afternoon. My name is George Piro. I am the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office.

This is a dark day for the FBI.

Special Agents Daniel Alfin and Laura Schwartzenberger were shot and killed in the line of duty.

Our sympathies are with their families and loved ones. We, the FBI Family, share in their loss.

As you may know by now, this morning, agents from this office and officers from other partner law enforcement agencies assembled in Sunrise, Florida, to serve a court-ordered federal search warrant for a violent crimes against children investigation.

FBI Miami conducts search warrants almost daily. They are an essential and important part of what we do and are thoroughly researched and meticulously planned to take into account any threats or dangers. The vast majority of these warrants occur without incident and the investigation continues.

The operation this morning in Sunrise ended tragically with the subject opening fire on the members of the search team. Five agents were struck by gunfire, resulting in the deaths of two agents, with the other three agents sustaining wounds of varying severity. Two of the wounded agents, both shot multiple times, were transported to a local hospital. One agent had his wounds treated at the scene.

The subject is also deceased. His name will not be released pending notification of next of kin.

It takes an incredibly special person to answer the call and do the heroic work of an FBI special agent. It requires self-sacrifice. It requires putting oneself in harm’s way, not once, but again and again.

Dan and Laura left home this morning to carry out the mission they signed up for and loved to do—to keep the American people safe. They were valuable members of our team. They will forever be heroes. We will always honor their ultimate sacrifice.

Dan Alfin was 36 years old. He was born in New York and joined the FBI in 2009 with his initial assignment to the FBI’s Albany, New York, office. He has been assigned to FBI Miami since 2017 and has worked crimes against children violations for over six years. He is survived by his wife and one child.

Laura Schwartzenberger was 43 years old. She was born in Pueblo, Colorado, and joined the FBI in 2005. Her initial assignment was with the FBI’s Albuquerque, New Mexico, office. She was reassigned to FBI Miami in 2010 and has worked crimes against children cases for over seven years. She is survived by her husband and two children.

The FBI is a family, and our chosen profession is fraught with danger. Today, this grim reality has taken two of our best from our family. We are saddened by the loss as we struggle to come to terms with what happened.

As we grieve their loss we will continue our mission to protect the American people.

Thank you.